Our top literary Valentines? It’s Bardly a shock...

YOU may not know your Montagues from your Capulets, but everyone is familiar with Romeo and Juliet.

Since Shakespeare wrote his tragedy about the doomed young lovers, it’s been staged countless times and inspired movies from West Side Story to High School Musical.

And, of course, a famous Dire Straits song.

So it comes as no great surprise that Romeo and Juliet have been voted the most romantic literary couple.

The star-crossed lovers were picked by 40 per cent of literature fans in a poll about their favourite fictional relationships. With tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day in mind, readers chose classic characters as well as much more modern pairings.

The cringeworthy Bridget Jones and her dreamboat Mark Darcy came second with 15 per cent of the votes. Teenagers Marianne and Connell (see above) from Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People also appeared in the top ten, following the success of the BBC adaptation last year.

Young heartthrobs Bella Swan and Edward Cullen from US novelist Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series Twilight were the third most liked pair. Other couples from a fantasy world included Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, from JK Rowling’s books.

Classics from the Brontes were popular with Emily’s Heathcliff and Cathy, from Wuthering Heights, receiving 11 per cent of votes. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester also made the top ten.

EL James’s Anastasia

Steele and the domineering Christian Grey, from the Fifty Shades series, were also considered among the most romantic characters ever.

Evie Porter, of research agency Perspectus Global, which carried out the poll of 2,000 people, said: ‘Although the story may be a tragedy, Romeo and Juliet... still embody the passion and true love we all wish to experience in our lifetimes.’